This invention relates to a solution container hanger, principally for use in conjunction with a peritoneal dialysis solution container.
Currently, the most widely used method of kidney dialysis for treatment of End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) is "hemodialysis". Here, the patient's blood is cleansed by passing it through an artificial kidney in an artificial kidney dialysis machine. By the process of diffusion across a semipermeable membrane is the artificial kidney, impurities and toxins are removed from the patient's blood to thereby perform a natural function of the patient's kidneys. Hemodialysis is generally required three times a week, each dialysis requiring 45 hours in a dialysis center or at home. During dialysis, the patient is "tied" to the machine by venous and arterial blood lines which convey his blood to and from the artificial kidney.
Although used less frequently than hemodialysis, a procedure known as "intermittent peritoneal dialysis" is an accepted method for treating ESRD. In this procedure, a dialysis solution is infused into the patient's peritoneal cavity by means of tubing and a catheter. The peritoneum, which defines the peritoneal cavity, contains many small blood vessels and capillary beds which act as a natural semipermeable membrane. This natural membrane may be contrasted with the artificial membrane used in hemodialysis. In both cases, however, impurities and toxins in the blood are removed by diffusion across a membrane--a cellulose membrane of an artificial kidney or a peritioneal membrane of a peritoneal cavity.
In intermittent peritoneal dialysis, dialysis solution remains in the patient's peritoneal cavity for a time sufficient for blood impurities to be removed by diffusion across the peritoneal membrane and into the dialysis solution. The impurity containing dialysis solution then is drained from the peritoneal cavity by means of a catheter and tubing, and a fresh supply of dialysis solution is infused. Intermittent peritoneal dialysis utilizes pumps or other auxillary equipment to which the patient is "tied" during dialysis; here also the patient must remain sedentary.
"Continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis" is another type of peritoneal dialysis which uses the peritoneum as a semipermeable membrane. The continuous procedure has the important advantage, however, of enabling the patient to be ambulatory and conduct a normal routine during dialysis. The patient is not "tied" to a machine and he must be sedentary only for the time period required to drain and infuse dialysis solution from and into the peritoneal cavity. This infusion and draining is handled by tubing and a surgically implanted, indwelling catheter in the patient's abdominal wall and in communication with his peritoneal cavity.
The continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis procedure is intended to be a patient self-care technique once the catheter is surgically implanted. Thus, it is important that the apparatus involved, e.g., tubing and solution container and ancillary equipment such as the present invention, be simple and easy to use. The present invention is intended to simplify the procedure for infusing and draining dialysis solution, the invention being useful in the home or other location as well as in a medical facility. The invention concerns a novel solution container hanger which is portable and may be hung from a door or other elevated structure for infusion of the dialysis solution and moved to a low position, for example, the floor, to permit drain. The invention is also easily folded for carrying or storage.
A support for surgical bags and drain tubes for attachment to the sides of hospital beds is disclosed in Garth U.S. Pat. No. 2,959,386. Here a support fabricated from wire is attached to the side of a hospital bed for hanging a urinary drain bag or other medical drain bag to receive body effluent. Unlike the hanger disclosed in Garth, the present invention is suitable for other than a hospital environment and can be placed into three positions: (1) infusion; (2) drain; and (3) storage or carrying.
A foldable leaf bag holder is shown in Ross U.S. Pat. No. 3,638,888 which supports a plastic bag in a vertical or horizontal position. The device in Ross is always utilized on the ground unlike the present invention which is intended to be hung from a door or other elevated structure for infusion of solution. A butchering stand is disclosed in Duke U.S. Pat. No. 1,417,234, which is foldable for storage, but does not permit meat to be butchered in more than one position. The butchering stand is cumbersome and its and Ross' design would not be adaptable, as the present invention is, for support of a solution container in infusion and drain.
None of the prior art hangers satisfy the following criteria for a solution container hanger adaptable for use in continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis: (1) able to be easily folded for storage and transportation in a small size; (2) able to be suspended from a height necessary for infusion of dialysis solution; and (3) able to be placed at a position low enough for drainage of the dialysis solution. Thus, there is a need to provide a solution container hanger which is portable and can be positioned in either an infusion or drain position. A solution container hanger which is simple in design is also desirable for ease of manufacture.
With the advent of dialysis solutions contained in plastic bags, and the development of continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis, a simple solution container hanger for use by patients in and outside of a hospital environment is desired. A simple, effective, inexpensive solution container hanger is important, particularly from a patient self-care standpoint, when practicing continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis. It is therefore, an object of this invention to provide a solution container hanger which is simple, effective, inexpensive, easily portable, and can be placed in a drain, infusion, or storage position.
As will be fully explained below, the present invention is easy to operate. Ease of operation is important for the practice of continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis because of the large number of patients with limited physical capacity because of poor eyesight, weakness, arthritis and the like. This invention also is particularly advantageous for use by children and geriatric patients for these same reasons.